108 Thirty Years 



forfeiture of all the advantages which might be anti- 

 cipated from the expedition would be a certain conse- 

 quence, if any quarrel arose between his party and the 

 Esquimaux. I also communicated to him that owing 

 to the distance we had traveled, we had now few more 

 stores than were necessary for the use of our own 

 party, a part of these, however, should be forthwith 

 presented to him ; on his return, he and his party 

 should be remunerated with cloth, ammunition, to- 

 bacco, and some useful iron materials, besides having 

 their debts to the North-West Company discharged. 



The chief, whose name is Akaitcho or Big-foot, 

 replied by a renewal of his assurances, that he and his 

 party would attend us to the end of our journey, and 

 that they would do their utmost to provide us with 

 the means of subsistence. He admitted that his tribe 

 made war upon the Esquimaux, but said they were 

 now desirous of peace, and unanimous in their opinion 

 as to the in cessity of all who accompanied us abstain- 

 ing from every act of enmity against that nation. 

 lie added, however, that the Esquimaux were very 

 treacherous, and therefore recommended that we should 

 advance towards them with caution. 



The communication which thechief and the guides 

 then gave respecting the route to the Copper-Mine 

 River, :in<l its course to the sea, coincided in every 

 material poinl with the statements which were made 



